Axial flow turbines

in driver in electricity generation, in gas pipe booster stations and as a prime movers
2MW to 660MW

low pr. fluid

High pr. fluid

Small area change

Cross section of a single stage AF turbin

Stator: turn the fluid in the tangential direction

Rotor: turn the flow back in the opposite directio
Extracting energy from the flow

A simple gas turbine

increase in blade length
is more marked)

Po2<Po1
Diffuser: dynamic head into static pr.
Inlet: guide the flow from the supply sou
To the stator vanes with minimum loss in
Total pressure

Radial flow turbine

A simple steam turbine
Multi stage turbine

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

of turbine inlets: Guide the flow from the supply source to the stator vanes with a minimum
total pressure
Induce a swirl component to the
flow so that a torque can be imparted
To the rotor blades-has number of curved
Acts as a transition between aerofoils called vanes that turn the flow
the small diameter of supply In the tangential direction.
duct and the larger diameter
Used in turbochargers
of the turbine

In-line axial inlet

Radial inflow stator
1. Variable geometry stator-wide range
Axial flow stator
range of inlet flow conditions-pivoting
Flow is accelerated and turned
Stator vanes
Tangentially before entering the
2. High temp. applications-stator vanes are
Stator, reducing the flow
Cooled using lower temp. fluid, usually
Turning done by the stator
Compressor bleed air
Rotor blade shapes
Extract energy from the flow
converting it into shaft power
rotor blades-attached to a
rotating disk that transfers torque
to rotor blades.

Tangential
entry scroll inlet
num inlet with radial or axial
entry
a) Inserted into disk using
for axial flow turbine

urbine stage downstream of combustor

dovetail
b) Disk integral with blades-blisk
Cooling used in case of high temp.

Radial inflow rotor

Axial flow rotor

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Turbine energy transfer

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

ermodynamics of the axial turbine stage

urbine stage velocity diagram

Mollier diagram for a axial turbine stage

Stator
fixed guide vanes

Relative velocity
increase in rotor

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Stage efficiency

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Soderbergs correlation for loss

Ren=105
H/Cax=3.0

Nominal loss coefficient

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Stage reaction

Zero reaction stage )

Impulse turbine stage
No pressure drop through the rotor. Enthalpy increases
0 implies h2=h3, since ho2rel=ho3rel
through
get W2=W3. Due to irreversibility there is a pressure
drop rotor. This implies reaction is negative for
impulse turbine stage when irreversibility is taken.
rough the rotor stage.
note: zero reaction is not same as impulse stage

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

0% Reaction stage

locity diagrams is symmetrical

thalpy drop in nozzle =enthalpy drop in rotor

100% Reaction stage

Negative value of R. Diffusion in the rotor (W3<W2), If R>1
absolute velocity in nozzle decreases (C2<C1)
Sub tan 3=tan 3+U/Cx in eqn (2) we get
R=1+Cx/2U(tan 3-tan 2)
When , R=1 and C2=C3
When R>1 , C2<C1 ,diffusion in nozzle

mpulse and Reaction Blade

=0.5(tan 3-tan 2)
r impulse blades, 2=45.5o , Reaction 2=18.9o
can be calculated if incidence is known and also R/ can be
lculated.
action blade: R/ decreases as incidence increases
=0.20 when i=0 and R/ =0.25 when i=10
mpulse blade: R/ =0 when i=0 and R/ =-0.25 when i=10
Profile loss with incidence

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

hoice of reaction and effect on efficiency

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

on of loss data

e geometry, incidence, S/C, H/C, t/C, Reynolds number, b.l parameter, turbulence)
rofile loss(associated with bl growth over blades) + annulus loss (associated with bl growth on the walls) +
due to non-uniformity of inlet flow) + tip cleance loss

nce prediction using Ainley method

at zero incidence is first estimated using profile drag curves for nozzle and impulse balding at various S/C a
For blades in between impulse and nozzle the profile loss is given by

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

For impulse and near impulse blades this equation is valid for 0.15<t/C<0.2
For t/C values higher than these the limiting loss should be taken.
For rotor blades replace 3b by 2 and 2 by 1

Profile loss coefficient for conventional blades

at zero incidence

Secondary loss:

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Tip clearance loss

Takes care of reaction but not aspect ratio

Secondary losses in turbine blade rows

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

w characteristics of a multi stage turbine Turbine flow characteristics

mber of normal stages each 50% reaction Used for matching compressor/turbine in jet engin
C3=W2;C2=W3; Assume U=Constant
At a given pressure ratio, the mass flow paramete
swallowing capacity tends to decrease with additi
rement in mass flow rate 3 and 2 remains
of further stages.
stant. 3 rotor exit ; 2- Nozzle exit
Stadola-formulated ellipse law for characteristic
velocity diagram Fig-b
multistage axial turbines.
bine operated in this manner has low efficiency
fluid direction at inlet of each stage produce a
gative incidence stall
K-constant
get high efficiency the fluid inlet angles must
remain used in steam turbines
single stage
reaches a constant valu
se to design value. Hence turbine operateFor
at its
hest efficiency at all off-design conditions both
for Pon/Po1 tending to 2 Choking
and U should be changed in direct proportion.
For multi
becomes constant at
refore velocity triangles are similar at design
and stage
design
at higher value of Pon/Po1

Change in turbine velocity diagram with mass flow

at constant blade speed
Turbine flow characteristics (Mallinson and Lewis)

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

how turbine characteristic line is part of an ellipse

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai

Prepared by Dr. S. Ramamurthy, ramamurthy302@gmai